Love Returned??
by Maki
Summary: This is a sequel to Could The Digiworld Be Another Name For Hell, it is now six months after...Read on...
1. Default Chapter Title

**Love Returned?**

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Disclosure- I don't own digimon, etc.

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_~~*Love strikes us in so many ways; it comes into our lives at a drop of a hat and leaves even faster. There are times when love can be lost in such a way that it can never be regained, but true love will always remain, if only in spirit and in your heart..*~~_

Matt sat alone in his room, his shades drawn and the phone off the hook, just the way he liked it to be on weeknights and weekends.This particular weekend was no different, Tai and Sora and the gang had tried to get him to go out with them, but his heart just wasn't into it. It had been 6 months to the day since they had left the Digiworld and six months to the day that Maki gave her life for him.

He remembered that day as if it were yesterday, Maki jumping in front of him protecting him from Pagnomon. Maki lying in his arms dying, her last words were that she loved him; he kissed her softly and told her that he also loved her in return and then she died. At that moment, the moment when her body went limp in his arms and he knew she was dead, part of him died as well, the part of his heart that was just for Maki.

Since their return to their world Matt shrouded himself in seclusion only coming out of his room for classes and for his little bro T.K. His friends had tried numerous times to get Matt to go out with them and still continued to try, but he felt so heavy by his grief, so weighed down that he had no desire to go out with them.

It was Saturday morning and even though the shades were drawn the light still crept in brightening the room. His father was at work, no surprise there. Matt had woken up from a terrible dream; he was reliving his last day in the Digiworld and his last day with Maki. He tried to shake it off as he went into the kitchen. He grabbed a bowl, some milk and a box of Cheerios® and began eating. The apartment was silent except for the ticking of the clock in the living room; tick, tick, tick, tick... Matt listened to the hypnotic ticking as he finished off the rest of his cereal, suddenly sending Matt jumping out the chair; the phone rang in the living room. He thought for a moment about not answering it but decided he would in case it was T.K.

"Hello." He said

"Hey Matt, it's Tai!" Tai said sounding very happy.

"What's up Tai?" Matt asked not really wanting to know.

"Well since you wouldn't come and hang with us last night, we all made plans to hang tonight at my place. My parents and Kari are gone and I thought it would be cool if we all got together and hang out. A party if you will. And I won't take no for an answer!" Tai said.

"Listen Tai, I'm not really in the mood." Matt said trying to find some kind of excuse but only coming up with he didn't want to.

"Matt come on, please!" Tai pleaded. "I'll get down on my knees." He said laughing.

Matt sighed heavily, he really didn't want to especially today. "Look, I'll think about it, ok?"

"OK, 7pm, my place." Tai said.

They said their goodbyes and Matt hung up the phone. _I'll just call back later and cancel out. I really don't want to go anywhere tonight, he thought to himself._

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Matt jumped in the shower and got dressed; he looked around his room trying to figure out what to do next. He picked up a Stephan King book from his dresser that he had started the night before and decided to read for a while, a nice mindless activity my be just the thing. He climbed back in bed, pulling the covers up and getting himself comfortable before starting to read. 

He read for several hours, his eye lids getting heavy until it made reading too difficult to continue. He decided that maybe a nap might be in order so he put the book down and shut off the light by his bed. Sleep took him quickly.

Where am I? He thought to himself. He looked around his surroundings, it was nighttime and he was outside that much was obvious, but where he was exactly he didn't know. There were tall trees everywhere and they were thick, he couldn't make out a path or a road. He certainly wasn't home.

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_"Matt," a voice called out_

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_He looked all around but couldn't see the source of the voice._

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_"Matt," the voice called out again, this time it seemed to be coming from behind him._

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_Matt quickly whipped around to see Maki standing there; she looked like she did the day she died except this time there was soft glow that surrounded her._

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_"Maki?" Matt asked, not sure if he should believe his eyes._

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_She looked at him cocking her head to one side and smiled, "Of course silly, who else would it be? You dead dog?"_

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_Matt's jaw dropped, did she talk like this before, he thought. "How do I know it is really you?" he asked._

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_Maki stood there for a minute biting her lower lip thinking then she looked back at Matt smiling, "What did I say to you last? Right before I died. I told you that I loved you."_

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_"Yeah, but anyone could know that." He said still not believing that it was really she._

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_"OK, well how is this. The first time you and I really talked was when you found me crying in the woods and you comforted me and gave me your friendship then and I confided in you." Maki said hoping that would convince him._

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_"Hmmm. And what did you do right before you ended up in the Digiworld?" He asked._

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_Maki frowned and looked down to the ground, "I... I jumped off a building." She said sadly, now regretting her actions._

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_Matt took a few steps closer to Maki, "Maki is that really you?" he asked hoping that this was not some sort of cruel dream._

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_Maki looked back up into his big beautiful blue eyes and smiled, "yes." She said softly._

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_Matt smiled and grabbed her holding her tightly burying his face into her hair sobbing, "you've come back." He sobbed._

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_" Well I had to see you Matt, I have missed you so much and I am so worried about you." She said holding him and caressing his hair._

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_He stepped back and looked at her seriously. "Worried about me? Why?" he asked not understanding what she meant._

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_"Matt, I have been watching you. I know how you have shut yourself off from your friends, from the people that care about you."_

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_Matt looked at her for a moment running his fingers through his blonde hair. "I just haven't been able to, I miss you Maki. All I do is think about you, dream about you."_

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_Maki smiled raising her hand to his face gently caressing his cheek. "I know Matt and I miss you as well, but you are still living and I... I'm here and can't be with you in the same way."_

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_Matt frowned at her, "What are you telling me!?" he yelled confused and hurt._

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_Maki looked deep into Matt's eyes and tried to smile through her tears. "Matt..." she whispered as she leaned in and kissed him tenderly on the lips. "I love you and I always will, but..."_

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_"But what Maki?" Matt said sure that he knew the answer to his own question._

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_"But you have to go on." Maki said._

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_"I don't understand." Matt said knowing full well he knew exactly what Maki meant._

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_Maki smiled and touched his cheek, "Yes you do Matt. You know exactly what I mean. It's time for you to take back your life and go on living."_

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_Matt glared at Maki, "I don't want to." He screamed at her. "I don't want to go on with this if this is what life is like. I mean I find a girl and fall in love with her and then she gets killed because of me! And now!" he broke down sobbing falling to his knees._

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_Maki sat down next to Matt and placed her hand on his shoulder as he continued to cry. "Matt, part of life is death. And my death is not because of you. I died to save you, that is true, but if I hadn't stepped in the way when I did Pagnomon would have killed you because he knew of my love for you. I couldn't let that happen." _

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_Matt shook his head, his face still buried in his hands. "Well maybe I don't want to be alive anymore, maybe I would rather be with you."_

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_Maki frowned, "Matt you don't mean that, you know that deep down you really don't."_

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_"Yes I do." He yelled_

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_"Matt... Not being with you... It hurts me too... But I will never be truly dead and gone as long as you remember me. And I will always be watching you, looking after you." She said rubbing his back softly._

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_"Maki" he said looking up at her, " it just hurts so much."_

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_"I know it does. But that is why you need to let your friends in, let them help you. Please?" she said_

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_"I just don't know anything anymore." He said quietly_

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_"For me, for me, please let your friends in and just try." Maki said as she hugged Matt tightly in her arms, her cheek touching his. _

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_He nodded slowly not wanting the embrace to end._

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_Maki smiled and kissed him softly again. "Now. Wake up. It's time for you to go to Tai's."_

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As if on cue Matt awoke in his bed, he looked at the clock, it was 10 of 6. Just enough time to get over to Tai's....

To be continued??

A/N~ OK peeps here is my sequel and yes there is more to come, but I had to start out somewhere. Tell me what you think. And I hope you enjoyed it.

Dedication~ This for you Seth....


	2. Default Chapter Title

**Love Returned?? Part 2**

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Disclosure: I don't Digimon or anything like that, etc.

Tai and the others were lounging around his living room; all were there, Tai, Sora, Mimi, Joe and Izzy, all except for Matt. They munched on chips and dip and drank soda chatting among themselves about what they wanted to do for that night. It was now 7:30 and the kids had decided that Matt wouldn't be coming after all, when the doorbell rang. All of the kids looked at each other surprised and hopeful as Tai quickly jumped to the door. When he opened it he saw Matt standing there dressed in black jeans and a black tee shirt.

"Hey Matt!" Tai exclaimed, "Come on in!"

Matt smiled slightly and walked in the door where the others quickly greeted him with smiles and friendly hugs. 

"Hey guys." Matt said smiling.

"Matt we are all so glad you're here," Tai said patting Matt firmly on the back, "sit down and relax, we have tons of food so help yourself."

"Thanks." Matt said as he took a seat in an armchair next to Izzy.

"So Matt what made you come?" Izzy asked quietly knowing how Matt had been avoiding everyone for the last six months.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told ya Izzy." Matt said the smile now gone from his face.

Izzy looked at Matt seriously and knew he couldn't resist finding out and decided to press the issue. "Come on Matt you know me. You can tell me."

Matt frowned, he wasn't sure if he should say anything or not, but then decided what the hell. "It was Maki." He said.

The others stopped their chatting and looked at Matt who realized that he had said it a bit too loud and now everyone was focused on him.

"What about Maki?" Sora asked

"I just asked why Matt finally decided to join us." Izzy said still looking at Matt with a look of worry and confusion on his face.

Matt blushed and looked down to the floor not looking back up when he spoke, "I... I knew I shouldn't have said anything... Why did I even bother to come over here?" He said as he stood from the chair.

Tai quickly jumped up not wanting his friend to go, "Come on Matt, don't be like this. We don't think that you're crazy, we're just curious, that's all."

Matt looked at Tai, pain filled him again as he heard Maki's voice, "For me, try..." she said softly. Matt reluctantly sat back down in his seat and stared at the ground.

"So what happened Matt," Tai finally said breaking the silence that had filled the room like fog that comes after a hot summer rain.

"It was a dream," Matt said softly

"Well? What happened in this dream?" Izzy inquired.

"It was nothing." Matt said shaking his head his eyes still focused on the floor as if he were counting the strands of fiber that made up the carpet.

"Come on Matt, you can tell us." Sora said softly

Matt looked up to Sora for a moment and then back down to the floor running his fingers through his hair. "Maki came to me in my dream." He said finally

"Dreams can be very powerful, Matt. What did she say to you?" Izzy asked as the others looked on in disbelief and concern for Matt's stability.

Matt looked over to Izzy and smiled warmly as he remembered his dream, "She didn't say a ton, just that she missed me and still loves me... But she also said she was worried about me."

"Huh? Why we she be worried about you?" Mimi asked

Everyone just gave a quick glare towards Mimi and then motioned for Matt to continue.

"She just said she was worried because I have been so depressed since we came back to the real world and that I have shut out my friends. She asked me to try for her." Matt said 

"Try what?" Joe this time asked

"Try to get out and be with my friends, to let you guys back into my life and for me to go one with my own life." Matt said

Everyone was speechless when Izzy finally decided to speak up, "well?" he began trying to find the right words, " I think Maki is right."

"Huh?" everyone said except Matt who smiled.

"Well, if Matt's dream was just part of his subconscious to get him to get out and go on with life then that is good, right?" Izzy said.

Everyone nodded.

"But if his dream was something more like maybe Maki actually coming into his dream to tell him to get out and be with his friends and to go on then that is good too, right?" Izzy stated.

This time everyone looked at each other and nodded hesitantly.

Tai looked around uncomfortably and knew almost everyone was feeling the same, he decided that it was time to change the topic. "Hey guys! What do ya want to do next? Games or movies?" He said trying his best to sound like his happy bubbly self.

"Well what do you have for games?" Mimi asked

"Hmmm..." Tai giggled nervously looking around the room, "umm well I don't exactly have any games I guess. Hey what about spin the bottle or truth or dare?"

Everyone groaned at this.

"Those two games have been done to death." Sora stated

"Yeah." Mimi chipped in

"Ok? Well what about movies? I have some great Disney movies!" Tai said

Everyone sweat dropped.

"You've gotta be kidding me, right?" Matt asked

"Hey I like Disney" Tai said blushing

"Yeah me too." Izzy said

"Well you two would!" Matt said smiling slightly

"OK I guess going to the video store is in order then. Who wants to come with me?" Tai said looking directly at Sora.

Sora smiled and stood up. "I will." She said as walking over to where Tai was now standing.

"We'll be back in a bit." Tai said grinning at Sora

Tai and Sora took off to go to the video store, when they came back they had a copy of Mystery Men and a copy of 8mm. The gang watched the movies making comments on how much Mystery Men sucked and how cool 8mm was. (A/N sorry had to put that in there)

It was getting late and the kids were getting tired when Matt finally said that he was going to head home. The other kids followed suit, except for Sora who said that she was going to hang out for a while longer.

"Hey Matt?" Mimi said

"Yeah?"

"Umm...would you mind taking me home?" Mimi asked

"No problem Mimi, come on." Matt said leading Mimi out of Tai's apartment.

They walked part of the way in silence when Mimi finally decided to break the ice.

"So it was great that you finally decided to come and hang out with us tonight Matt. I was starting to get really worried." Mimi said

"No need to worry, I'm fine." Matt said coolly

"Well we all missed you. I missed you." Mimi said looking down to the ground

Matt slowed down his pace and glanced over to Mimi wondering if there had been some hidden meaning behind what she had just said. "Well I missed all of you guys too." 

Mimi stopped walking and looked at Matt. He stopped when he noticed that she had stopped and looked at her confused. She smiled at him for a second.

"This is my stop." She said pointing at her apartment building

"Oh yeah." Matt said smiling scratching the back of his head.

"Well thanks." She said walking over to him kissing him gently on the cheek.

Before she could step away Matt grabbed her arm, looking into her wide eyes. Mimi wasn't sure what Matt was doing but she wasn't scared, she smiled at him softly as he leaned in and kissed her. She was a little startled by this but went along with it.

Matt moved back from the kiss and looked into Mimi's eyes again. Once he was sure that she wasn't going to slap him he went back in this time kissing her harder slipping his tongue into her mouth. He was surprised when she returned his kiss. They stood like that for a while.

Matt broke off the kiss and looked at Mimi and smiled. "Umm. I'll see you later OK?"

"Uh yeah." Mimi said still a bit weak in the knees from Matt's kiss.

"Call me?" Matt asked

Mimi smiled ear to ear on this and nodded her head. She backed up slowly away from Matt still smiling at him.

"Bye" she said

"Bye" Matt said as he turned around and headed back to his own apartment.

_What the hell was I thinking? What came over me? He thought to himself. _Matt walked into his apartment. He went straight to his room stripping off his clothes and hopping into bed. _Well it was nice... _He smiled to himself and turned off the light by his bed.

Matt slept that night with no dreams, just peaceful darkness...

The End...For now...:)


End file.
